Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

My two girls arrived home after day out in Girne, I asked: ” how was their day?”, and I wish I’ve never asked. The eldest shook her head responded by saying: “it would have been pleasant day if they weren’t pestered and continuously harassed by “local Turkish boys”. They only wanted to have a good day out, regrettably it ended disappointingly unpleasant experience. They were harassed most of the morning, and the day was cut short.

The reason why they were disappointed, it’s because of SOME Turkish boys believing that “English girls / woman” are easy catch, naive and fools “parting with money”. They got it in their thick skulls that the English women are their for . They gained themselves bad reputation i.e. don’t mind a casual evening with anyone “Tom, Dick or Harry” or you could say “Mehmet, Ahmet & Gengis” said my girl...

I told her next time she’s harassed by a Turkish man or any man, she smack him right where it hurts, and dare him to report the incident to the police if he has guts. I bet if their sister or and girls been harassed in such manner, they will flip and pull out the knife.
My girls are decent, and deserve to have decent reputation and respect.

In England when a woman declines an offer made to her from the other party “English man”, it meant “NO” and he goes away. British men have decency and understanding the word “NO” while they are home or away. However in here, some females with their sour behaviour they for sure are tarnishing and ruining the Good decent English girls reputation.


Rebuilding the English reputation is difficult, but not impossible.
Fatsam

I am sorry your "girls" had such a bad experience, however, with respect I think you need to know and teach them a little more about where you are living. There is a difficult culture , here, particularly with the Mainland Turks. I am not suggestion these girsl did, but it is unfortunate that some British women do give the rest a bad reputation by sending misleading signals with body and facial language as well as dress, with the result decent women have to be more careful about the signals they send (which is not to say they should wear headscarves etc, just for instance keep over exposure for the beach or pools). Its also best to avoid eye contact with young men. And some Brits of both sexes flash their money about in a manner that makes us all targets for touts and even thieves. Its a really sad sign of the times because I have been in countries where they need special "Tourist Police" to stop harassment of tourists, but we have been lucky so far it has not been needed here.

However I am sure the police in the UK would confirm that "hitting them where it hurts" is entirely the wrong way to deal with improper approaches and if they are truly bad types (as opposed to silly boys reading the signs wrong) would only attract violence.

I suggest if it happens again they

1. Look stern and offended and say politely but firmly "please go away" (and for goodness sake restrain any urge to giggle!) If that fails

2, Say very loudly and firmly "If you dont go away I will call the Police". This usually works but if they are being really obnoxious and the girls are truly frightened.



3 Shout "Police, Help!"

If they can learn (a friendly neighbour, or something like Google Chrome) to say it in Turkish it will be more effective as the offenders probably thought the girls were tourists who would go away in a few days and forget it, but would not want problems with someone living locally.

The Police may not be in hearing, but if that does not scare them away in a public place others will and the majority of Turkish Cypriots care about THEIR reputation also and would be as shocked by this behaviour , if not more so, than we are!



PS Not all the British are perfect gentlemen and take "no" for an answer but most are perhaps less likely to misread casual, informal behaviour as an invitation!

Sad storey but so often the case, letting your girls go out unescorted was your first mistake Fatsam,if you had a few years under your belt here,you would have realised this.
Even though n/c is westernised to a point,it lingers in the dark ages,due to the Anatolian imports, the place is not the safe haven it pretends to be for western women on heir own , so keep a wary eye, and remember the law is always on the side of the local when a a scantily clad westerner screams rape.

Tell them to say "cekil !" (chekil) or cekil git or git !! It means go away.